Nigeria election: Agitations at Abuja over alleged irregularities

The elections in Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria have been characterised by a lot of agitations all over the country after polls ended.

According to reports, the election was not free and fair as it was full of irregularities and rigging allegations against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria.

There are predictions of victory for Nigeria’s governing All Progressive Congress (APC) led by Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu.

So far provisional results have recorded wins for Peter Obi’s Labour Party (LP) and Atiku Abubakar’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos and Katsina State respectively.

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission has already been hit with allegations of irregularities regarding on-site challenges in the vote’s coalition. As well as a general lack of preparation for the election.

Abuja-based journalist, Abraham Lucky has said the election has witnessed issues from the late arrival of materials to the polling station among others.

“So right now, there is a lot of agitation all over the place, especially concerning the results that have been collated at the coalition centre here in Abuja. Because people from around the State, who have collated those results from their individual state are saying the results from INEC at the Coalition centre in Abuja is not exactly what is presented in various centres. Some party heads and aspirants have come out to also give their opinion about what is happening.

“The process is not free and fair as expected and INEC had promised. There are a lot of irregularities right now at the coalition centre. There are a lot of differences in results and there are a lot of issues about the results that were expected to be seen.”

He continued, “There is also this issue of the INEC itself not being prepared. In terms of, there are some polling units that materials were taken to the polling unit very late. And in some places, the INEC staff themselves run away with some materials, some very sensitive materials of some polling unit.”